Apparatus for the making of photographic contact copies of documents



Jan- 7, 1941- E. STEINLAUF APPARATUS FOR THE MAKING OF PHOTOGRAPHICCONTACT COPIES OF DOCUMENTS Filed Sept. 1, 1939 W 7 B I 7 Y. 5 8VEIZZEg/ g6) ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 7, 1941 APPARATUS FOR THE MAKING OF PHOTO- GRAPHIO CONTACTCOPIES OF DOCU- MENTS Eduard Steinlauf, New York. N. Y., assignor toIncorporated Luma tion of Pennsyl Pittsburgh, Pa", in corpora-Anplication September 1, 1939, Serial No. 292,977

h 7 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of devices designed to ofier thepossibility to copy printed or written originals.

In the devices now employed for this purpose, 5 it is difiicult and insome cases impossible to make contact-copies of bound documents orbooks, etc., especially is this true if it is necessary to take thepages out of the book so as to reproduce a single leaf. It is alsodifilcult and 10 frequently impossible to expose large pages equally,that is entirely to-their edges which must be done in order to obtainsharp lines.

My invention is designed to overcome all these objections.

provide an apparatus by means of which I can copy such material where itis bound in a book without having to take it apart.

A further object is to so construct the appago ratus that a reproductioncan be made of two pages of a book with but a single exposure.

A further object is to avoid the necessity of using a photographic lens.

A further objectis to avoid the necessity of a 25 dark room. t

A further object is toaccomplish these objects in a simple,-economicalmanner, and to attain the desired result in a much shorter time than ispossible with the apparatus employed at prescut for the photographicreproductions of printed or similar material.

It will be clear from the hereinafter contained light-filter which willstore up light fo a cer-' l tain amount of time, which certain amount oflight is equal over the whole surface. Within the box and below oradjacent these light-filters, I

mount gas-filled, or luminescent electric glass tubes which are suitablyconnected to a transformer, so that they can be attached to any'electriclight system. The light'emitted by these tubes is stored up by theadjacent light-filters. Means to automatically control the electriccurrent is provided.

Preferably I employ a clock which will auto- My invention has for itsprincipal object to matically cut off the current at any desired lapseof time, usually ranging from 1 to 60 seconds, thereby enabling theoperator to obtain the correct'time required for the exposure. I havefound it convenient to provide means which will I press books, as wellas loose leaves, tightly against the light-filters. In this manner Iavoid all pleats or knits which will be thus ironed out.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readilyunderstood by referenice to the accompanying drawing which is hereuntoannexed and forms a part of this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a device embodying my invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, without the book;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view; and

Fig. 4 isa wiring diagram.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entirespecification.

As shown in the drawing, my invention com-' prises a box having top,bottom. end and side walls. The top wall I, and the side wall 2, asillustrated, are formed of some suitable light transmitting materialwhich has been treated with a suitable photo-luminous substance capableof storing up light when exposed to light and afterwards emitting thesame with the same degree of intensity from all parts of its surface.Numerous formulae are known for such coating such as zinc sulphite,calcium sulflte, strontium sulfide, radio-active sulphur zinc, or anappropriate amalgation of these chemicfls, any or all of which willoperate satisfactorily for my purpose. The walls thus treated form afluorescent screen or light-filter. Within the box and adjacent thei'luorecent screen, I mount a plurality of electric gas filled tubes Iand 5, which are connected by means of electrical conductors 4' and I toa source of electric current (not shown). on the corners of the box andabove the top wall I, I provide means to press and hold the articlewhich is to be reproduced tightly against the sensitive photographicprinting P p r 4 which J is placed upon the top wall I with the emulsionside uppermost.

As illustrated, these means comprise two or more arms 6 and 1- which areprovided with spring hinges l and l which operate to hold the arms 6 and1 tightly against the article .to be reproduced. These spring hinses areof standard construction so that a detailed description of them isdeemed unnecessary. A similar arm II is shown pressing on the sidewallI. as illustrated, only one is here shown, but it will be obvious anydesired number may be used. This arm also is provided with a springhinge ii the extension of which is exerted to press thematerial to becopied tightly against the surface of the sensitized photographic papersl2.

Although I have shown a specific form of device for this purpose, I donot wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as numerousdevices for accomplishing the same result will suggest themselves topersons skilled in the art. In the front of the box I have shown anautomatic control for cutting oii oi the electric current. are so wellknown as to render a detailed description thereof superfluous.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Under a diffuse light, thesheet of photographic chlorbromide paper i2 is placed on the walls I and2, the emulsion part being turned upward. The spring pressed arms 6, land Ill having been first elevated, and held in that position, an openbook I3 is then placed upon the emulsion-side of the photopaper. Thearms are then released and the book i3,together with the photographicpaper,-will be pressed tightly and equally on the light-filter. Theelectric current is then connected by a standard switch when the currentwill light the tubes.

Thereby the light-filters, situated above, start storing up light. Therays of this light will be emitted and will pass light through thechlorbromide paper 12 and be absorbed by the dark spots of the pages ofthe book. While the bare and lighter parts of the pages will reflect thelight against the chlor-bromide paper l2 with the result that an exactreproduction will be obtained due to the fact that the latent activationof the fluorescent screen is equal throughout its entire surface and thefurther fact that the article to be reproduced is tightly held againstthe. photographic paper 12. After a few seconds the electric currentwill automatically be cut off. The photopaper l2 may be put into adeveloping solution, such as for instance, MQ, whereby a negative willbe formed. By treating it with a fixing solution this negative will bemade lightproo f. After drying the negative, any desired amount ofpositive copies may be reproduced in the usual way.

Instead of the photo-paper l2, photo-plates, films or other photographmaterial which is sensitive to light may be used. In this way, forinstance, can be made diapositives (lantern slides) on glass-plates forthe purpose of mass copying.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described to reproduce on sensitizedpaper printed or other material; a box haw'ng connected top, end andside walls, two of said connected walls being formed of material whichwill transmit light rays, said two walls being treated with aphosphorescent emulsion for storing light for a period of time and thenemitting it, spring pressed arms to hold the material to be reproducedtightly against said sensitized paper on the transparent walls, a lightsource in said box, means to connect same to a supply of electriccurrent and an automatic time control in the connecting means.

2. In a device of the character described to reproduce on sensitizedpaper printed or other material; a box having connected top, end andside These automatic time actuated controls walls, two of. saidconnected walls which are at right angles to each other being formed oflight transmitting material treated with a phosphorescent emulsion forstoring light for a period of time and then emitting it, means to holdthe material to be reproduced tightly against said sensitized paper onsaid right angle walls, a light source in said box, means to connectsame to a supply of electric current and an automatic time control inthe connecting means.

3. In a device of the character described to reproduce on sensitizedpaper printed or other material; a box having connected top, end andside walls; the top and one side wall be ng formed of light transmittingmaterial treated with a. phosphorescent emulsion, means to hold thematerial to be reproduced tightly against said sensitized paper when itis placed on the light transmitting walls, a light source in said boxand means to connect same to a source of electric current.

4. In a device of the character described to reproduce on sensitizedpaper printed or other material; a box having top, end and side walls;the top and one side wall being formed of light transmitting materialtreated with a phosphorescent emulsion, spring actuated means to holdthe article to be reproduced tightly against the sensitized paper whenit is placed on the light transmitting walls, a light source in saidbox, means to connect same to a source of electric current and anautomatic time control in the line.

5. In a device of the character described to reproduce on sensitizedpaper printed or other material; a box having top, end and side walls;the top and one side wall being formed of light transmitting materialtreated with a phosphorescent emulsion, means to hold the article to bereproduced tightly against the sensitized paper, when it is placed onthe light transmitting walls, a plurality of gas filled luminescentelectric glass tubes in said box, means to connect same to a source ofelectric current and an automatic time control in the line.

6. In a device of the character described to reproduce on sensitizedpaper printed or other material; a box having connected top, end andside walls, two of said connected walls being formed of material whichwill transmit light rays, said two walls being treated with aphosphorescent emulsion for storing light for a period of time and thenemitting it, spring pressed arms to hold the article to be reproducedtightly against said sensitized paper on said treated walls, a pluralityof gas filled luminescent electric glass tubes in said box, and means toconnect same to a supply of electric current.

7. In a device of the character described to reproduce on sensitizedpaper printed or other material in book form; a container havingconnected top, end and side walls, a plurality of gas filled luminescentelectric glass tubes therein, two connected walls of said containerwhich are at angles to each other, being transparent and having acoating of fluorescent material, means to connect said tubes to a sourceof electric current, a sensitized paper on each transparentwall andmeans to hold two pages of said book to be reproduced which is opened atan angle and one page held against one sheet of said sensitized paperand the other against the other sheet of sensitized paper.

Enfmru) s'rnmmur.

